Sunday Dawg Treat: NFL Week 2
One of the many great things about the NFL is coming around food. Starting today, NFL Week 2, we bring you a Sunday Dawg Treat. The NFL, and college football, is different than the other big sports in that you can be very ritualistic about it. We know that most Cleveland Browns games will be on Sunday at 1PM. Most NFL games will be on at that time. We plan that like clockwork. Times when our teams are on at different times, except Thursday Night games, becomes even more special and fun, but the times are consistent. Sunday at 1, 4 or 8:30 and Monday Night at 8:30.
Many of these recipes will come directly from my amazing baker of a wife (owns a very successful bakery) , some from local Cleveland chefs and maybe one from me. Today we start with a very simple dip:
Ingredients
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Package of Taco Seasoning (or your favorite blend of spices to make taco meat)
1 Package Cream Cheese (8 oz)
Your Favorite Salsa
Block or Shredded Cheese – A cheddar or marbled cheese works the best
*Notes on Ingredients
- The better, higher quality the beef the better the results. Better meat will also hold the seasoning better.
- Buy block cheese and shred it your self. Shredded cheese is processed with a starch to keep it from sticking but it dries it out. Doesn’t take long to shred and greatly improves the result.
- Like the beef, better cheese makes better dip.
- Buy any cream cheese, cheap is fine.
- Sweet salsa is not as good with this recipe but some may like it and go with what you like.
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
- Let cream cheese sit at room temp to soften.
- Shred your cheese (don’t open the bag if you already bought it shredded)
- Brown your ground beef on stove top, mixing in taco seasoning (or your blend) when appropriate. Fully brown the beef but make sure not to over cook.
- Pour seasoned beef into a 9 inch or glass baking dish (round or square)
- If cream cheese isn’t spreadable, take out of foil package, place in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 10 seconds at a time till still thick but spreadable.
- Spread cream cheese on top of beef so as thin as needed to cover entire top.
- Pour a layer of your favorite salsa over top of the cream cheese, as much as you like.
- Layer shredded cheese on top of the salsa. I use the entire pound 🙂
- Cover with foil, tenting the foil to keep it from touch the cheese. Using a glass, oven safe lid works as well.
- Place in oven for 15 minutes covered. Just enough time for the flavors to mingle and the cheese to melt.
- Grab your chips, or a spoon, and eat and enjoy.
Let me know what you think when you are done making it. The combination of seasoned beef, creaminess, tang from the salsa and the sticky cheese is perfection.
What is your favorite game day recipe?